Pressing Onwards
by kideaxl
Summary: Fifteen individuals awaken to realm not their own. Lost and confused, they realize that they were brought for a reason. With steel nerves, they take their gaze to an uncertain future.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything**

* * *

Chapter 1: Trailers

Ansem awoke with a start. Stretching his old bones, he found himself in a strange location. It was a fairly comfortable theater room furbished with comfortable chairs and couches. At the back of the room was a large oak door. Around him, he noted that he was in mostly unknown company.

There were nine adults, including himself and his wife. The other six were around the same age of his daughter Kairi. Frowning, he stroked his blonde beard and tried to recall how he got here. If his memory served him correctly, he had been reading the newspaper during breakfast.

Ansem felt a touch cheated, he hadn't gotten to finish. Brushing aside such minor concerns, he kneed down and gently shook his wife Rinoa. Dark brown eyes opened slowly as he helped her to her feet.

Far faster than he, she noticed and took in the new surroundings. From the frustrated look on her face, she didn't appreciate her lack of weaponry. He would never understand Hunters and their obsession with being armed all the time. Aura and semblances should make up for any lack of weaponry.

Rinoa elbowed him in the ribs as though she could read his mind. He flashed a disarming smile.

She wasn't amused.

The others scattered on the ground began awaking. A blonde girl yawned loudly as she cheerfully said, "I feel so refreshed."

"Summer? How are you here?" The grey haired man, who Ansem remembered as Ozpin, questioned a caped woman. Beside Ozpin was a blonde woman who was pushing up her glasses, looking equally surprised.

A more energetic conversation was occurring between the teenagers. A white haired girl rubbed her head, "What a surprise seeing you here, Pyrrha. Do you have any idea why we're here?"

The ginger girl she was addressing politely shook her head.

"Just great", the white haired girl grumbled as she crossed her arms.

"Guys!" The blonde girl from earlier cried as she raced towards the caped woman and the man beside her. They found themselves in a tight hug, as she lifted both off their feet.

"Yang!? There is no freaking way", the man said in between laughs. "I'm pretty sure that this isn't what they meant by 'they grow up so fast'."

"I'm glad you're doing so well, sweetie", the caped woman replied.

Off to the side, a disheveled cape wearing man eyed the scene strangely, as though he had seen a ghost.

"Well aren't we a motley crew?" A brown haired woman with braided hair said snidely. Beside her was a mustached blonde man.

With a cough, Ansem gained everyone's attention, "I feel it's necessary to introduce ourselves before we try anything else."

Most of the occupants of the room assented to his idea.

The caped woman and her husband were Summer and Taiyang respectfully. Glynda was the blonde woman beside Ozpin. The disheveled man was Qrow. The brown haired woman was Annabeth and she was the wife of the mustached blonde, Malachi.

As for the teenagers, the white hair girl was Weiss. She was beside a black haired girl named Blake and the blonde was Yang. Near them was the ginger Pyrrha. The black haired youth, Ren, had the orange haired girl Nora hanging off his arm.

Together, there were fifteen of them, a bit of crowd.

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I am Ansem and this is my wife, Rinoa", Ansem replied as Rinoa waved.

Ozpin smiled and chuckled, "I daresay the honor is ours. It's rare that one meets Ansem the Wise, leader of the Kingdom of Mistral."

Ansem smiled wryly, "There's no need for that. Besides, we citizens tend to call ourselves Radiant Gardens. It doesn't seem to be catching on for the rest of Remnant."

"Your isolationist behavior may have something to do with that", Ozpin ribbed lightly.

Qrow pulled out a bottle of alcohol from his coat and chugged it down, "Now I may be a drunk, but I'm partially sure that I didn't travel to this place yesterday."

Yang was marveling at the large television in the room. "Hey can you guys buy little me one of these? Ruby and I'll love you forever", Yang directed at her parents. Her smile was wide and goofy.

The adults just shook their heads in amusement. None more amused than Ansem. "Teenage girls are the same everywhere."

"I wouldn't know", Taiyang said grumpily. As far as he was concerned, Yang was still his little girl.

Weiss rolled her eyes at the blonde's behavior. "She's just as childish as her sister", she muttered.

"You need to chill. You take things too seriously. Ruby's cool, you just had a bad first impression", she cracked a charming smile, which Weiss turned her back to.

"Why isn't Ruby here?" Summer questioned in growing worry. "Yang was with Ruby during her time, but only you came."

Yang shrugged, "Ruby's strong, she can totally watch out for herself. She got all of Beacon as company. We're the missing ones."

"Good spunk, kid", Qrow laughed loudly as he took another drink.

Yang zipped next to him and crossed her arms, "Learned it all from you, Uncle Qrow."

"Aah, I'm a bad influence", Qrow said proudly. He avoided making eye contact with the girl's parents.

"Perhaps, now would be a good time to explore this domain. There is still the door to investigate."

Nodding at Ansem's suggestion, Qrow and Taiyang pulled out their weapons to prepare for a fight. Slowly, Ansem turned the knob and pulled the door back.

It was a hallway.

With some relief, the pair put away their weapons. The hallway parted into two paths. There were twelve rooms, six on each side. Each door had some emblem and certain individuals recognized them. The married couples realized that they had shared rooms, while everyone else had a room to their self.

"This is neat. Whatever brought us here is at least polite", Malachi admitted.

"Polite is asking our permission to drag us into a different reality", his wife said sternly. She wasn't nearly as impressed and thankful.

At the end of the hallway was a kitchen. Each divergent path had an extra door. To the right was a gym, to the left was an open room with all matter of devices. Qrow went straight to the kitchen.

He whistled as he saw that the fridge was stuffed with food, but his eyes shined with he found a liquor cabinet.

"I think I'll survive here just fine."

"I'm sure you will, Qrow", Taiyang said as he laughed.

Summer looked at them both disapprovingly.

"What a pig", Weiss snorted.

Qrow eyed her amazingly, "You're just like your big sister."

Weiss stood a little prouder and taller.

In return, Qrow waved her off, "Don't puff up your nonexistent chest. That's a bad thing."

Weiss' face grew red from anger.

"Alright calm down, you old timer", Taiyang teased as he broke the fight.

"Hey, don't be so smug. You're just as old as me in my time. Unlike you, I aged well."

They chuckled together.

"Would you like a cup as well, Glynda?" Ozpin offered as he made himself a cup of coffee.

She narrowed her eyes at him and retorted, "This is hardly the time, Ozpin. I shudder to think what the rest of faculty is doing without us."

"Being uncomfortable now, will not improve our lot", he stated as he took a sip in delight.

"This is going to be such an adventure!" Nora sang as she jumped in place.

"Calm down", Ren said softly.

"Poo, you're being boring. You need to cut loose, buddy. Right, Pyrrha", Nora said energetically.

Said girl looked surprised, before she smiled widely, "I think he's a very pleasant person."

As one, they began to walk back to the theater room.

"I know what we have to do! Let's wreck this place!" Yang cried as she activated her gauntlets. Going to the back wall, she pulled her fist back and punched as hard as she could. The blow echoed, before she recoiled in pain and nursed her bruised hand. "What is this made of!?" A single bullet shell fell to the ground.

"It appears that Aura and dust hold no power here", Ozpin said clinically.

Yang was sure that Beacon's headmaster was smiling behind his cup of coffee. The jerk.

Ren eyed Nora that was fidgeting with something, "What have you found?"

Nora pushed a disc too close to his face as she said, "Look at this."

It was labeled 'Triumvirate', an interesting name, no doubt. Beneath it had the label of 'Trailers'.

"Little miss, can I see the box?" Malachi questioned. Nora nodded as she passed the box.

The other adults looked over his shoulders. Like the disc, it was labeled Triumvirate. It showed a brown haired teen sitting on a cliff. A sword was by his side, embedded into the cliff. A mouse keychain hung from the handle. A blonde teen had his arms crossed as he looked away from the front, standing just below the brunette. Lastly, there was a girl sitting leisurely beside the brunette. A red hood covered everything, but her face. A scythe laid on her lap.

"That's Sora", Rinoa pointed to the brunette. "He's a friend of our daughter, Kairi", she explained when she saw the blank looks.

"The girl's Ruby", Yang noted. Taiyang and Summer grew giddy at the sight of their younger daughter.

"The last one looks like Jaune, our son", Annabeth added.

Ansem looked closer at the image. In Sora's hand were three jagged cards. One card showed the boy as a small child falling form the sky, another had Ruby crying into her mother's empty cloak, and lastly was Jaune looking sadly upon shadows of great heroes.

Ozpin chuckled, "This is wrought with symbolism."

"Do take this more seriously, sir", Glynda sighed. "No matter how it appears, we are very much hostages."

Pyrrha raised a hand before she spoke, "Maybe we should watch it? It could hold some clues to our location."

Qrow took the box, "Why watch trailers, when this has the actual videos?" With that said, he flipped to another section of the box and attempted to pull out the first disc.

It wouldn't move.

No matter how much pressure he used, the disc didn't so much as bend.

"Patience, Qrow. You keep doing that and you may break the disc", Summer chided as she took the box away.

"I'm not one of your kids", he muttered lowly. He lightly pushed his niece when she began to laugh at his displeasure.

"Young lady, may you insert the disc? I believe that the contents will illuminating", Ansem asked as the girl nodded. He watched as she bounded for the television with a huge smile.

As it played, a black screen showed a trio of vertical rectangles. The first was highlighted. It had the outline of a boy holding a shield. It was recognized as Jaune. Annabeth looked a touch concerned of what was in the video.

They each took their seats and waited.

The video played.

 **Words appear on a dark screen. As a boy's voice is heard: Thinking of you, wherever you are. We pray for our sorrows to end, and hope that our hearts will blend.**

"How eloquent", Pyrrha said. It was quite a bit younger than she remembered Jaune's voice being. It had a soothing and melancholic touch to it. Her interest was piqued.

Malachi and Annabeth were another matter. They were unused to hearing a philosophical sounding son.

 **A fourteen year old Jaune is shown falling to the ground. He grunts as he futilely tries to get back up, but he fails.**

 **Malachi looks on in sadness. "That's enough for today", he says kindly as he helps his son up. Looking over him over, he continues, "Why don't you pick up your sister?"**

 **Jaune looks down to the ground in resignation.**

Annabeth grimaced and her husband held her hand. "Jaune just isn't made for the huntsman lifestyle."

"I know", Malachi said sadly. His son always tried so hard, but he just didn't have the talent. If he doesn't improve tremendously in the future, he would have to shut down his hopes of becoming a huntsman. He wasn't looking forward to that day.

"It's always difficult presenting reality to excitable children", Rinoa said in comfort. Though, it was a lot different for her and Ansem. Telling a child no wasn't nearly as difficult when they wanted silly things.

The Arc couple smiled thinly in thanks.

"Buck up, people. The guy has to improve. I mean, he was allowed to take the Beacon Initiation", Yang mentioned brightly. Sure the guy was dorky, but now wasn't the time to bring that can of worms up.

 **Jaune was walking through a forest, calling out to his sister Alice. He froze when he saw that Alice was being cornered by a pack of Beowolves.**

Annabeth's fists were shaking. In the video, Alice was about nine or ten. But all she could think about was her precious little toddler.

Malachi wasn't doing any better, "What the heck is she doing out there!? And why are Grimm so close? This is completely out of the way for one, let alone a pack."

Ozpin narrowed his eyes. This was far too peculiar. If he didn't know any better, he would think that they were specifically targeting young Alice.

 **They see you as small and helpless;**

 **He hesitates to help as his mind goes to each and every failed training session. Sadness shows on his face.**

"This doesn't look good. If he's crippled by his past performances, the girl's toast", Qrow said briskly, taking another drink.

"He doesn't need to fight! He needs to get help fast!" Annabeth almost snarled. She felt a small amount of satisfaction over alarming the man.

"Mrs. Arc has a point. If he can figure out some way around them, then battle isn't necessary", Pyrrha said honestly.

 **They see you as just a child.  
Surprise when they find out that a warrior will soon run wild.**

 **But he sees the terror on his little sister's face and leaps into battle. The closest Grimm to Alice is knocked aside. With shaking legs, he protects Alice. He is tossed aside as he rolls around. With his sword, he attacks the Grimm again. But it is backhanded away. Jaune sighs glumly.**

Yang was rooting for the blonde. "You can take him. Get your sword back", she felt very sympathetic to his courage to save a younger sibling. The only reason she was taking this so well was the fact that she had met the future version of the guy. That meant he had to survive this.

Hopefully, so did his sister.

 **Prepare for your greatest moments;  
Prepare for your finest hour.**

 **Jaune looks at them and just picks up Alice and runs. The wolves kept running after him. With the rest of his strength, he pushed her up onto the trees. And stumbles into a roll and tries to push the Grimm aside. It doesn't work. He's struck on the side.**

 **The dream that you've always dreamed is suddenly about to flower.**

 **Jaune held his ribs with tears in his eyes. Glaring, he saw them trying to climb the trees and Alice tries to go higher. Glaring he slams his fist into the ground. Around him multiple white colored beings slithered from it. Getting up, he smirks and points at the Grimm.**

Ansem gazed intently on the little white/silver creatures. They had low stature and held zippers in the place of mouths. They shared a stark difference to the creatures of Grimm. From his coat, he pulled out his notebook. This was riveting. Already, being brought here had net him some gains.

 **We are lightning,  
Straying from the thunder,  
Miracles of ancient wonder.**

 **Each of them lunge at the Grimm. They rip each other apart. Limbs and heads on both sides are flying around.**

Ansem grunted at the sight before him.

"Care to share?" Rinoa asked amusedly. Now that it seemed that the young boy was going to make it through this, she felt free to joke a bit.

"Not yet, I wish to think a little more."

 **This will be the day we've waited for.  
This will be the day we open up the door.**

 **Racing towards the group near his sister, a single Grimm is sneaking up behind him. The zipped hood of the white beings see it, and Jaune's eyes shine and he ducks every blow without looking. Twisting, he smacks the Grimm away with his shield.**

 **I don't wanna hear your absolution;  
Hope you're ready for a revolution.  
Welcome to a world of new solutions.**

 **The earth rumbles as he saw a Grimm five times his size erupt from the ground. It's armored with two jagged ice daggers for hands. It slams its blades into the ground and he was blown away. Ice ran up his leg as he cried in pain.**

Ozpin put his cup of coffee down, "What manner of Grimm is that?" Never had he witness such a beast.

"It is called a Chili Ripper. They're fairly rare. Ice is their main mode of attack. There is also a version of this Grimm that uses metal and another fire", Ansem answered.

The headmaster nodded in thanks as he registered the information. He signaled for Glynda to begin typing the information into her scroll.

 **Welcome to a world of bloody evolution.  
In time, your heart will open minds,  
A story will be told,  
And victory is in a simple soul.  
**

 **The Grimm turns to the sister again. With anger he summons even more of the white creatures. This time they jump right into his chest. Clutching the entry point, his blonde hair stood up and grew red, marking appears underneath his eyes. His figure became more lithe and older. The ice had melted.**

"Amazing. His semblance seems very adaptable. Hopefully, it isn't permanent. He looks like a thug", she complained. Even if it was, it was acceptable. His and Alice's health was the priority. She chuckled as she noticed how excited her darling was.

Malachi almost wanted to cry. He wouldn't have to discourage Jaune from his dreams.

 **Your world needs a great defender.  
Your world's in the way of harm.  
You want a romantic life; a fairytale that's full of charm.  
**

 **With flaming fists, Jaune punched the Grimm and it screamed. Flames in his hands changed into chakrams. He throws one into the abdomen and runs to it. Jumping off the embedded weapon, he stabbed the head with the remaining weapon.**

 **Beware that the light is fading;  
Beware if the dark returns.  
This world's unforgiving, even brilliant lights will cease to burn.**

Legends scatter.  
Day and night will sever.  
Hope and peace are lost forever.

 **He flipped over the head and snapped his finger and the whole Grimm was consumed by the flame. Each of the chakrams flew back to his hands, as he smirked.**

 **This will be the day we've waited for.  
We are lightning.  
Welcome to a world of new solutions.  
A story will be told,  
That victory is in a simple soul.**

"That was sweet! He was all like bow, kablam and was throwing fire all over the place. If I don't get you as partner, I'll pick him." Nora continued to talk rapidly about team combinations.

"That's nice, Nora", Ren said with a small smile.

Pyrrha was intrigued by the creatures. He seemed to share their sight and gained a transformation from absorbing them. A small part of her wanted to fight him. Though, she thought this new form of his was attractive in a bad boy kind of way.

 **Going up to the tree, he opens his arms wide and Alice leaps into them. "Are you alright, sis?" He asks as he continues to hold her.**

 **She nodded, as she wipes the tears away. "You were amazing brother. I always knew you would get it."**

 **Jaune chuckled, "I supposed I should've known better than to argue with you."**

 **She hugged him tightly, "Thank you for saving me."**

" **No problem. You are my favorite little sister."**

" **I'm your only little sister."**

"That's so sweet. Little Jaune always did love his little sister. I just want to pinch his cheeks", Annabeth cooed.

Most of the teens, with the exception of Weiss, laughed internally. How embarrassing that would be for them. Though, it was pretty funny when it happened to other people.

 **Jaune looks around suspiciously and whispers, "Between you and me, you're my favorite sister. Don't let the others know."**

 **She giggled childishly as she said, "Ok, but only if you get me ice cream."**

 **Jaune snorted, before putting her on her shoulders, "Sure thing, Alice."**

 **They walk back to the village.**

The video ended and the rectangular returned. This time, Jaune was no longer shadowed.

Weiss was the first to speak, "I can't believe that dolt was that powerful."

Yang shrugged, "What, you want to hook up with him now?"

"Not if he was the last man on Remnant."

"Harsh", she said in pity for the guy, although she was laughing.

Pyrrha frowned a touch. She felt that Weiss was being too mean spirited with the guy.

Qrow snorted at Weiss' reaction. But a look from Summer had him quieting down.

Ozpin rubbed his chin and directed a question towards Ansem, "Are you involved in Grimm research?" Ansem was known to be involved in many fields. It's claimed that Radiant Gardens' land was filled with diverse and advanced technology. Sadly, it was mostly rumors, very little escaped the kingdom.

"Correct. I'm not much of fighter, my passion centers in knowledge. Fighting blindly has done little to defeat the Grimm, so I feel more information is required. I feel that I've made some very good progress." Ansem sounded fairly proud of himself.

"Boring! Let's get to the next episode", Nora demanded.

Ren sighed and apologized in her stead. Her attention span could be quite short in some occasions.

Rinoa shook her head in mirth as she agreed with Nora. She was itching to see how Sora fared.

With that, the screen selected the next image and the image had the shadowed form of someone holding a scythe.

 **In the darkness, a teenage girl's voice spoke: A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory. A far-off memory that's like a scattered dream. I wanna line the pieces up- yours and mine.**

Yang frowned at the voice. It was Ruby's but it sounded dead. For all her life, Ruby had been a cheerful person, if awkward. From the voice, this was present day Ruby.

 **Close your eyes now time for dreams,  
Death is never what it seems.**

 **A figure in a red cape placed flowers atop of a grave. The grave read: Summer Rose/ Thus Kindly I Scatter. The figure walks away, sparing not a second glance.**

The silence was almost painful. Qrow and Yang flinched, while Ozpin and Glynda simply sighed sadly.

Taiyang seemed to choke on his words as he removed his arms off his wife's waist. "This is garbage, some sick joke. This doesn't prove anything." His words sounded hallow to even his own ears. Too many of these images were coming together. Looking over to Yang and Qrow, neither had voiced any doubts.

They knew.

"Honey. It's going to be okay. We always knew the risks of being in my field. You need to calm down", Summer tried to ease her husband's concern. Traces of fear and depression were inching on his features.

"We can fix this, Summer", he said with conviction.

Ansem wasn't so sure of it. There wasn't any data to prove that they could distort time. While they were viewing what could possibly be the future, it didn't prove their ability to change it. The only basis he had was fiction. They could simply forget once they were out of this zone. Lastly, Taiyang didn't even know what exactly killed his wife. Even if it was a Grimm, there was no way to know if it was the location or the particular Grimm.

Before he could open his mouth, Rinoa applied pressure on his hand and shook her head. "Don't start", she warned. Her husband was a loving man and father, but he lacked tact in some cases. At this stage, Taiyang was looking for a reason to vent. The man would turn on Ansem so fast, his head would spin. It was best that people who he cared for tried to settle him down.

"The future isn't set in stone, dear. But, I think we should continue watching. Maybe there will be an explanation in one of the discs. So please try to settle down." Unsaid was that he couldn't protect her on each and every mission. If they avoided the one that killed her, it didn't mean another couldn't get her later.

 **Did the things you thought you should,  
All the things they said were good.  
**

 **Somberly, she walked through a forest, with trees that grow more ragged and jagged. Through the shadows, Beowolves could be seen stalking her. Her hood shifts as she looks just behind her, but she continues to walk.**

 **All your faith in ancient ways,  
Leaves you trapped inside a maze.  
Take the lives of those you need,**

 **Just outside of the forest, there is a horde of Beowolves snarling. It is shown above that she is surrounded in a circle. They run towards her and she crouches down, pulling a container resting on her belt.**

Glynda pushed up her glasses as she watched Ruby's skill. While she applauded her skill against the thugs, she felt that it was too early for her to enter Beacon. Perhaps this video could clear up some uncertainties.

Taiyang was on the edge of his nerves. His wife was dead and now his youngest daughter was in danger. He wanted to switch places with Ruby here and now. Not even the comforting squeeze of his wife's hand could alieve his concerns.

 **Sow the death then reap the seed.  
Reap the seed.  
**

 **The rectangle unfolded into a spear, with a red and black tip. Rapidly, she pierced all of the Grimm just above her. Rolling aside, she dodged a claw. Using the spear as pivot, she stuck it into the ground and pushed herself upwards.**

 **Born an angel, heaven sent,  
Falls from grace are never elegant.**

 **This caused her hood to fall down and reveal red and black hair with grey eyes.**

"She's so cute", Summer commented. Little Ruby was budding to a young woman. She was proficient in her weaponry as well.

"Kid, got moves too. I mean, she did learn from under me after all. She uses a mean scythe", Qrow bragged loudly. There was warmth in his usual gruff voice.

Yang jumped on the Ruby train, "She's skilled. And it's pretty funny seeing little Ruby swing around her precious Crescent Rose."

Yang, Qrow, Taiyang, and Summer laughed. The others smiled at the lightening atmosphere.

 **Stars will drop out of the sky,  
The moon will sadly watch the roses die.**

 **She cut three Grimm running at her in half as she dashed through them. She disappeared into petals and cut down multiple Grimm as she twirled her spear. She pulled the legs under a Beowolf and caught its body and flung it into a running group, causing them to tumble.**

 **In vain,  
Lost, no gain,  
But you're not taking me.  
**

 **She shifts the spear into a gun and begins sniping four to five at a time. Her firing gets faster and faster and faster still until the Grimm were all gone. Ruby began to tuck the weapon away until a shadow ran at her and claws her where she stood.**

 **You can't have my life,  
I'm not your sacrifice.  
You can try, but I'm free,  
And you won't conquer me.  
**

 **Blocking with the gun, she was pushed back. She digs her feet into the ground.**

 **I won't crawl,  
Most of all,  
I won't fall,  
For you.**

Show them gods and deities,  
Blind and keep the people on their knees.

 **The new Grimm stood twice her height with teal thorns covering its body. Manacles were on its wrists and ankles. The chains on its arms are broken while those on its legs aren't. It has two dark horns and an equally red mane. Feral fangs roar and run to her, backhanding her into the woods.**

"Ugly looking thing. But it does look strong. Where are they getting all these interesting Grimm?" Malachi complained. As dangerous as his career was, he enjoyed the occasional rarity among the Grimm. If he's going to risk his life anyway, he wants it to provide some vital intelligence.

"Those rare breed of Grimm tend to be more organized than the typical Grimm. I would go so far as to call it strategic. When they hit, they succeed and their existence is protected. I feel that the three might be targets for the Grimm in general", Ansem explained his current theory.

Ozpin replied, "That is not entirely certain. In Mr. Arc's trailer, they were focusing on the sister. While they seemed interested in him, they wanted Alice more than anything. More information is required."

"You bring an excellent point. I feel that since so much emphasis is being placed onto these three, Alice might have been collateral."

 **Pierce the sky, escape your fate.  
The more you try the more you'll just breed hate.**

And lies,  
Truth will rise,  
Revealed by mirrored eyes.

What if all the plans you made,  
Were not worth the price they paid?

 **Flames burst from its claws as it runs at the flying girl. The girl turns her body and begins running on the sides of the trees while opening fire on it and looking at the cliff that had her mother's grave.**

Qrow saw his old teammate freeze at the reminder of Summer's death. He wanted to curse, they were finally brushing that aside. If he didn't know any better, he would call the discs sadistic. If anything, at least Summer got to see how effective his training was.

And boy, did Ruby need it back then. He would've been impressed if she could fight a puppy, let alone a Grimm in the old days.

 **Even with the lives you stole,**

 **It retaliated by cutting down trees with its flaming claws, setting the forest on fire. She shifts her gun into a scythe and swung her weight around to fling herself at the Grimm and wound it.**

 **Still no closer to your...  
Goal.**

You can't have my life.

 **Her knees bent on a tree, her grey eyes grew dilated as her speed explodes. In a blanket of petals, she rebounds on the trees and cut the Grimm over twenty times. On the final run, she knocks it upward as she follows. Switching to gun mode, she bombards it with bullets as it whines.**

 **I'm not your sacrifice.  
You can try, but I'm free,  
And you won't conquer me.  
**

 **Pulling the gun back, she uses the scythe mode to bisect it horizontal. As she slams to the ground, the halves fall around her. Pulling the weapon back into a rectangle, she walks past the flames.**

 **I won't crawl,  
Most of all,  
I won't fall,  
For you.**

 **It began to rain somberly.**

" **Until next time, Mom", Ruby says softly.**

Summer wiped the falling tears from her face. She felt so loved by her child. It saddened her that she wasn't around to be there for her. She was sure Taiyang was raising her the best he could, but she wanted to be part of that. She had loved that girl even as she was in the womb.

Weiss refrained from commenting on Ruby's poor dust handling. Even she could tell that it was simply asking for trouble. Make no mistake, she didn't sympathize with the girl, she merely didn't wish to be rude.

Blake sighed sadly. This was the reality of the world. It was just another family torn apart by the monsters of Grimm. She didn't feel too bad for them, mainly because she didn't really know anybody here. The closest would be the headmaster.

Yang was truly saddened by the loss of Summer Rose. She had always been loving towards her. But there was little she could help with. It would be up to the adults to deal with it.

Ozpin, meanwhile, was looking a touch smugly towards his assistant.

She glared at him.

He said nothing, it wasn't necessary. He had been correct in recruiting Ruby Rose. She would be a massive asset in the battle against the monsters that terrorized the Kingdoms.

Ansem noticed the quizzical look on Ren's face and nodded in recognition.

"Are you aware of what Grimm that Ruby battled?"

"If I recall correctly, that was a Dark Thorn. Crafty little things. They're built mostly for trickery than straightforward fighting." Ansem was smiling now as he told the fruits of his research.

"I think the next one's coming on", Nora said happily.

The last rectangle had been selected. He was shadowed figured leaning on the borders of the rectangle.

"Why doesn't the kid have anyone for him?" Qrow questioned.

"What you mean, Qrow?" Taiyang asked in turn.

"Well it's obvious that each of us was chosen because of our connection with the three kids on the box, Ruby, Jaune, and Sora. The brats are properly in Jaune and Ruby's teams. Then there's Summer, she's dead and she was still selected. So why didn't this place bring Sora's folks here? Doesn't he have parents?"

Ansem chuckled, "That's very possible. He just fell out of the sky into the kingdom when he was younger. We could never discover where his parents went. It would've been far too an extraordinary way of abandoning a child. It's been a very vexing issue. Sora hasn't shown any real regret to not knowing his parents."

Initially, Ansem and Rinoa had thought the boy in pain or denial, but he legitimately didn't seem to care. Sora was quite the free spirit. Was there some other connection that drew them into this realm?

 **Darkness covers the screen as Sora's voice rang: I've been having these weird thoughts lately… Like is any of this for real… or not?**

 **One day you will realize,**

 **The stars you are chasing shine bright deep inside you,**

 **A brown haired figure with red pants, a black top, and yellow shoes is shown floating to the top of a body of water. A shield, mouse topped rod, and sword float above him. They sink towards him.**

 **But will you ever let it shine from within,**

 **And cast all of your fears aside?**

 **First was the sword, then rod, and lastly the shield phases into him. When he broke the surface, he is able to stand albeit shakily. Around him, pools of darkness form and small black beings crawl out of them.**

"What an odd way for Grimm to appear. They look just as strange. It's almost disarming." Ren was sure that they were much more of a threat than they appeared, especially with numbers on their side.

"Please. I could take them all on", Nora boasted as she flexed her arms. She pouted when Ren didn't agree with her. Best friends back each other up!

 **You'll see the light, but until that day comes**

 **My Dearly Beloved,**

 **Be strong, I shall be there**

 **Sora looks around and sees no escape. Patting himself, he can find no weapon. Quick images flash through the screen. Lifting his hands, light shines and a keyblade appears.**

"Could he always do that?" Rinoa looked impressed. If she could have her weapon appear to her on the whim, she would be ecstatic. It saves space, weight, and can deceive your foes. She made a note to question him on it later.

Ansem tried to think back and could only shake his head. Sora was a good kid, but he didn't invest all of his time in needling secrets out of him. Though, his daughter would've of spoken of it.

 **Always here beside you**

 **So, keep your head held high,**

 **They leap at them, and brings the keyblade down. Some jump in the sky and he tosses the blade and it destroys them. Rolling, he catches the blade and sweeps more of the beings away.**

 **The shadows of this world**

 **It takes only seconds for all of them to be destroyed. Sora looks at the keyblade and smiles goofily at it.**

Qrow emptied his canister and pulled out a fresh one as he chugged it down, "I like that kid's style. Kick butt and have a good time."

"I, for one, find his technique too barbaric. It looks like he hasn't had a day of formal training. He might as well be carrying a big stick", Weiss complained. It was no wonder he hadn't gotten into an academy.

"Yes, what a horrible, unprivileged jerk. He obviously needs to learn from the great you", Blake quipped innocently.

She got the stink eye from Weiss.

Pyrrha wondered what material the blade was made of.

 **Will try to steal you away into their arms**

 **But you belong in mine**

 **From the depths of the water an elephant Grimm appears. Soar is big eyed. It roars and stomps towards him. Sora rolls out of the way, and thorws the keyblade at the beast.**

Malachi looked like he was going to froth at the mouth.

"Get over it. You never fought a rare Grimm, what a tragedy. You and your problems."

"Annabeth", he said in a whiney voice, "You're so mean to me. What happened to in sickness and in health?"

She rolled her eyes and ignored him. He could be so immature about what he fought, what a battle junkie. A little restraint went a long way.

 **We are one within a dream**

 **So hold me close and count the stars with me**

 **All our scattered memories,**

 **I will find the pieces, one by one**

 **The trunk deflects it as Sora runs towards it. Jumping onto the husks, he directs it to the side, jumps to the head and grabs the sword. The Goliath rapidly changes directions and charges Sora.**

 **Ocean waves drift over me**

 **I'll keep you in my memory**

 **This dream that lives within your eyes,**

 **He blocks with the keyblade and slides across the surface of the water. Getting up, rolls underneath the charging Grimm and cuts at the legs, causing it to crash.**

 **I wish to see it come to life**

 **A thousand blades unto the sky (My Dearly Beloved, Be strong, I shall be there)**

 **Reach out and link our worlds, yours and mine (Always here beside you, So keep your head held high)**

 **Slowly, it gets up and narrows its eyes at Sora, he returns the favor. With a cry they charge at each other. In a flash they collide.**

 **Let the tide rush over you (The shadows of this world Will try to steal you away into their arms)**

 **And one day I know we shall meet again, (But you belong in mine)**

 **An explosion of light and darkness swirls on top of the water as everything goes dark.**

 **My Dearly Beloved**

 **Sora wakes up to see Kairi's smiling face.**

"That's so adorable. Ah, young love", Rinoa said.

Ansem rubbed the sides of his head in response to his wife's antics. "You have to stop trying to get them together. They're probably just friends anyway."

Rinoa looked at him as though he was dumbest creature to walk the planet. It made him a bit self-conscious.

"You can't possibly be that blind, she obviously has feelings and he feels the same way. Even the song said so", Rinoa insisted.

"That could've been a coincidence. She's just waking the poor boy up."

Mr. Arc looked at Ansem in pity. The man must've been in deep denial. What father would admit that their daughter had feelings for some boy. Good thing his little girls were above such things.

"I think that they'll make a lovely couple", Pyrrha said encouragingly.

" **You can't just sleep anywhere, Sora. You'll get sick", she warmly chides.**

 **He just chuckles nervously as he scratches his head.**

" **Something wrong?" She asks curiously.**

" **I… don't know." He says softly. They walk away from the water. "Was that all a dream?" He whispers.**

"LAME!" Nora and Qrow said as one. There was no point in seeing someone else's delusions of grandeur. They had their own fantasies.

 **At a distance, his keyblade can be seen flashing away from the evaporating tusks of the Goliath.**

"YES!" The pair yelled again. They got up and gave each other high fives. Sora had earned some real respect from them.

Ansem laughed deeply, "It's good that we're all relaxing."

Ozpin felt a little disappointed that the boy hadn't applied for Beacon. When he got out of here, he would try to recruit him.

Qrow leaned into his seat and brought something to the group's attention, "How long do you think we'll be kept here? I mean, I have alcohol, so I'll live somehow."

The Arcs were concerned about their youngest. She was napping before they had been transported here. Their older children were living in dorms. Anxiety was increasing.

Ozpin and Glynda were only a touch concerned. There were chains of commands for situations like this.

"There's little to help us in that endeavor. It is best we deal with one problem at a time. In this case, the videos may just be the key", Pyrrha explained.

Ansem had gotten up as they spoke. He was inspecting the walls of the room. Rubbing a bit of the residue, he concluded that the wall was made of both pure Aura and the richest of dust he had ever seen.

Malachi thought long and hard, before slamming his fist into his other palm, "I bet somebody strong is keeping us down here!"

Annabeth smacked him on the shoulder, "Try to sound a bit distraught, alright? We don't want a fight."

"So movie time, it is", Qrow stated drunkenly.

"Yay, infinite slumber party", Nora cried in joy.

"No, Nora that's not the goal", Ren sounded bemused.

"At least you're satisfied", Glynda's ire was directed towards Qrow.

He shrugged uncaringly, "There's no Jimmy and his pet Schnee." He looked directly at Weiss as she huffed in indignation. "Let me get some better drinks, so I can enjoy what the future has in store for us." With uneven steps, he made his way to the kitchen.

The older men shrugged and followed suit, leaving the females, and Ren, behind.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Here's my own spin on the reading fics. I just love those and I don't know why.**

 **Anyway, this crossover is of Kingdom Hearts and RWBY. I'm mixing the KH and RWBY mythos. If I get enough positive feedback, I'll continue this.**

 **Until next time.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Departures

The men shuffled into the kitchen in search for drinks. No sooner had they entered the room, Taiyang lunged at Qrow and lifted him off the ground as he slammed him into the wall. Taiyang's eyes shined with a quiet desperation.

Besides the initial grunt, Qrow looked completely unsurprised. Neither of the men averted their gaze from the other. The others looked on in awkwardness. Ansem shook his head mildly. Malachi looked as though he wanted to test his skills. Ozpin went to look for the alcohol.

"When were you going to tell me!?" Taiyang said harshly. His fist held Qrow's collar tightly. "Did you think it made you look clever? We could've been sent back at any moment and you kept silent. I thought we were your friends."

Qrow actually seemed pained at the last statement. Despite his growing frustration, the man pinned to the wall offered no explanation.

This further incensed the blonde as he clenched his free fist and pulled back.

A firm hand stopped his blow. Angry eyes turned around and came face to face with Ansem. "Get out of my way. This doesn't concern you", Taiyang warned coldly.

"You are being foolish. Let the man down right this moment", Ansem said steadily.

"You want some of this too!?"

"No at all", Ansem admitted with some mild humor. "I'm quite sure that anyone of the people in this place could soundly defeat me. But, I command a large number of those that could physically overpower me. So, you'll find that I will not be bullied into submission. Now let the man down and talk like reasonable adults. "

Taiyang dropped Qrow back on his feet as he glared at the leader. "This must be a laugh for you, huh? I'm talking to a dead woman back there. She'll be the second I lose and I won't accept that. You're wouldn't understand", he said with ever growing anger in his voice.

Ansem looked at him no differently than a whining child. "I'll have you know that I have a lovely wife back in that room, so I think I understand a bit. You're so quick to point fingers, but you're forgetting one thing, the future version of you was there as well."

"Don't take that tone with me." The angered man stood taller as he continually clenched his knuckles.

Ansem coolly observed the man's knuckles. "I'll keep that in mind. Nevertheless, you're being far too harsh with your supposed friend. Did it ever occur to you that he wanted to relish the nostalgia of a completed family? Perhaps he wasn't trying to deceive anyone but himself. From the look of things, you aren't prepared for the truth. Desist your aggression." His voice was calm but commanding.

Taiyang, against his will and pride, could do nothing but obey. This man wasn't one to be ignored.

"Now with that resolved, we should get back to the women before they become worried or worst, annoyed." Ozpin spoke cheerfully as he had a number of alcoholic beverages. Malachi carried the glasses.

"I'm glad you're so chipper", Qrow said with thick sarcasm.

…

Back in the theatre room, Ren was growing a bit uncomfortable. While Nora's company had never been a problem, he felt outnumbered by the females here. Most mortifying was that the older women seemed to pick up on it.

"This is so exciting, I wonder how the show will end", Nora exclaimed in her excitement. She held onto Ren's arm as she jumped up and down.

With a sigh escaping, he said, "It's not just a show. It seems to be the future."

Nora tilted her side before breaking out in a wider smile, "I can't wait to strut my stuff on the big screen. Mama's going to lay down the hurt."

"That's nice Nora."

Rinoa laughed at the interaction before speaking, "It must be exciting to be surrounded by all these beautiful females." Her teasing was rewarded by Ren's coughing and looking away. "Ah don't be shy."

When Ren blushed, the older women shared a good laugh. To Ren's relief, the other males came back in the room in a jovial mood. Glasses were split between the adults and soda's given to the teens.

Yang looked down in displeasure at her drink. She then looked at her parents with fluttering eyelashes, "How about passing some of that down here?"

Summer and Taiyang looked at each other and said as one, "No."

Yang grumbled and took another sip of her soda.

"On to the next episode! I want to see more of my boy!" Malachi roared good-naturedly. The others agreed and the first episode began to play.

 **The screen opens to show Jaune, Sora, and Ruby sitting down on the edge of a clock tower. Sora is just sitting down. The screen flickers rapidly.**

 **You're giving me, too many things  
lately, you're all I need, you smiled at me  
and said**

 **As the screen flickers, Sora is seen stepping to a beach. He squints and covers his eyes from the sun. A silver haired teen is facing backwards to him. The teen turns around and beckons Sora with his right hand.**

Rinoa rose an eyebrow. "Well Riku was always the dramatic one of the bunch."

Qrow down a whole glass before replying, "Looks like a chick to me. He needs to man up a bit."

 **Don't get me wrong I love you,  
but does that mean I have to meet your farther?**

 **Sora races towards him as a wave appears. They're both submerged by the wave, but Riku is unaffected as he holds his hand out.**

"If nothing else, this is visually appealing. I wonder how much of this introduction is based on actual happenings." Annabeth questioned.

"What are you getting at?" Her husband asked confusedly.

She smiled as she explained, "Shows make introductions for a number of reasons, sometimes attraction overrides content from the show. I doubt this Riku child would waste time learning how to reach out underwater in a dramatic fashion."

Nora watched amazed. Already she was thinking of how to make use of such a fine technique. Her look of focus alerted Ren of troubles ahead.

 **When we are older you will understand  
what I meant when I said no.**

 **Sora doesn't reach him and the tide pushes him back.**

 **But, I don't think life is quite that simple.**

 **When you walk away,**

 **As he swirls, the screens shifts to Ruby. She dawns her cloak and her team walks besides her.**

"Look Taiyang, it's her team!" Summer said in joy. She watched intently as she saw the figures of Weiss, Blake and Yang walking beside her youngest daughter.

Taiyang smiled indulgently at his darling's happiness. He too had a sense of pride seeing his baby girls in a huntsmen team.

"Neat. I get into a team with my little sis. That has to be awesome", Yang admitted.

"What!?" Weiss screamed as she leapt up to her feet. She pointed dramatically at the screen, "There's no way I'm part of that dunce's team. She'll blow us all up to kingdoms come."

Blake rolled her eyes, "Poor you. Whatever will you do? Truly you leave a horrid and trying life", she said in the blandest voice possible.

Weiss glared sharply at the Blake.

Yang got a chuckle from that.

 **you don't hear me say  
please, oh baby, don't go,**

 **She's smiling brightly, as Yang cheers, Blake reads, and Weiss is huffing. As she exits the door to outside, she's pushed aside by an explosion.**

 **simple and clean  
is the way that you're**

 **On her knees, she sees a hooded woman, whose eyes burn with power.**

 **making me feel tonight,  
it's hard to let it go.**

 **Ruby looks shocked, before the scenes changes to Jaune on his knees. Around him are numerous arrows.**

Jaune's father looked on in interest. He recognized the arrows' structures. Smirking, he rubbed his hands in anticipation.

Annabeth elbowed him in the rib. "Don't make that face, it's disturbing."

He chuckled a bit.

 **The daily things  
Like this and that and what is what**

 **Sweat drops down on his face, as Pyrrha holds his shoulder in comfort. Turning around, he sees his team smiling at him.**

 **That keep us all busy,  
are confusing me.**

 **Angry he looks ahead.**

 **That's when you came to me  
And said, "Wish I could prove I love you,**

 **It shows a dark skinned old man and a dark suited person. They suited person stretches his right hand, before making a beckoning motion.**

"Look Ren, it's us. Our team looks fantastic", she paused a moment to gasp, "Do you think I'm the leader!? As queen of the team my judgement would be swift and delicious."

Ren idly patted her hand as he assured, "I'm sure it will be."

Weiss snorted, "Don't be ridiculous, if anybody will be the leader, it's going to be Pyrrha. That… boy doesn't have a chance." She was firm with her assertion.

Annabeth and Pyrrha frowned at her words, but withheld their opinion. Pyrrha did it in politeness while Annabeth didn't want to cause the child physical harm.

 **but does that mean I have to walk on water?"**

 **Jaune pulls his sword and races at them.**

 **When we are older you'll understand  
It's enough when I say so  
And maybe**

 **The dark skinned man smirks as Jaune falls beneath the ground.**

"This is peculiar", Ansem said after a thought.

"What is?" Rinoa asked in interest.

"That man. His stance and manner of dress is reminiscent of one I knew in my younger days. Xehanort was his name, if I recall correctly. But it can't be." Ansem seemed oddly unnerved.

"Why so?" His wife said patiently, well aware that he was mentally connecting dots.

"He's too old. He should be around my age, but he's aged so much. Unless, this is his father. This does not bode well. He clearly holds an antagonistic role."

Ozpin poured some liquor into his mug as he noted, "Your concern doesn't appear to be solely in the realms of personal feelings. What has you so disturbed?"

"Xehanort was a research partner of mine as we delved into the origins, powers, and classification of Grimm. We made many a terrible breakthroughs in that field. I fear that he has either taken or been given the research by Xehanort."

This sent a feeling of alarm to all around. Only the adults truly understood the ramifications. No one looked more perturbed than Ansem, Ozpin, Glynda, and Qrow.

 **Some things are that simple**

 **Hold me,  
whatever lies beyond this morning**

 **There is nothing but water as all three teens fall through the water.**

 **is a little later on,  
regardless of warnings,**

 **Beneath them is a glass floor, it depicts three shrouded figures in thick armor.**

 **the future doesn't scare me at all,  
nothing's like before.**

 **Sora falls with seven lights, Jaune with equal amount, and Ruby with four.**

 **Hold me,  
whatever lies beyond this morning**

 **As the three shatter through the image, Sora is seen falling through the sky.**

 **is a little later on,  
regardless of warnings,  
the future doesn't scare me at all,  
nothing's like before.**

 **A young Riku and Kairi see it in shock. Sora crashes into the waters as the two race forward. The screen fades to black.**

"Well isn't he a miracle child", Summer said with a chuckle.

Taiyang nodded in agreement. "Not every day you see falling kids. I wonder what was going through their heads when they saw that." Though he saw his daughters as bigger miracles.

 **The scene begins with Ruby inside a music store dancing to music playing in her headphones. It's a silly but fun dance and she's mouthing the words to herself.**

The scene caused all watchers to burst into laughter, all except for Yang. Ruby's sister groaned in embarrassment. She needed to show her how to really dance.

"Yahoo!" Nora cheered. "Shake that booty."

"She will not!" Taiyang shot down immediately as he glared at Ren.

An action that made said teen avert his eyes, lest he incur the wrath of a protective father. Though a part of him felt indignant the man thought so lowly of him.

Qrow groaned, "Seeing her dance is making my eyes bleed. Yang you're a terrible sister."

"Don't blame that one on me. I got all the moves", Yang said back.

 **As she sways a man in a black suit, ties, shoes, hat, and shades taps her on the shoulder. Stopping her dance session, Ruby removes the headphones and looks at the man. "Yes?" Ruby asks pleasantly.**

" **Your dust and valuables, give them up!" The thug demands.**

 **Ruby looks confused. She points at herself questioningly.**

" **Yes you! I'm not telling you again! Give it to me!" The thug yells out.**

 **Ruby smiles cutely and replies, "Ok."**

 **The next scene shows all of the thugs flying through the window of the shop.**

"Ha, that's my student. She's lucky to have a teacher like me to make her a portion as awesome as I am", Qrow bragged.

"I see that she takes after your recklessness. They were many other avenues available to her before she resorted to combat", Glynda coolly scolded. She wasn't at all surprised to find herself being brushed off by the drunkard of a man.

"Now, now Glynda, if not for this we wouldn't have such an illustrious student as Ms. Rose in our school." Once again, Ozpin appeared unfazed by the girl's actions. He paused as he received a glare, "Growing upset will not solve anything. We are mere observers, instead see what you can learn from these youths."

"Excellent point, Ozpin. We've already been privileged with such colorful insight. I wish to see what they could accomplish, unless you wish to punish them for actions untaken." Ansem said in support of Ozpin.

The blonde woman stewed in annoyance.

 **An orange haired man in a fancy suit combo smokes a cigar as he grimaces at his laid down forces. As Ruby enters his view, he snorts, "You guys are just too pathetic. What kind of thugs can't take on a little girl? I'm getting a refund for this." After a few puffs he glares at his hired help, "Well? What are you waiting for, an invitation? Get her."**

Those that resided in Vale recognized the man as Roman Torchwick. He was an infamous thief that had been blamed for the number of dust thefts over the past few months.

Ozpin merely hummed in confirmation. Though he didn't doubt young Ruby, it was appealing to see the fight firsthand.

Glynda narrowed her eyes and patiently waited to see just what Ozpin saw in her. While she believed she had potential, she was still of mind that she shouldn't have been rushed two years ahead. The 'trailer' as it was did strike a blow against her complaints, but further study would be required.

Yang was excited to see just how her baby sister had gotten in Beacon. She didn't have any complaints, but she was a bit curious.

Weiss was unimpressed by her actions so far. It was just so uncouth.

 **Ruby uses her high speed to cross kick a pair of them running towards her. They pull out their batons and attempt to attack her. Ruby pulls out her scythe and morphs it into its spear mode and throws it at them.**

 **It hits the group square on and sends them rocketing to the ground again. The spear bounces back towards Ruby as she grabs it and spins it. Morphing it into rifle mode, she spins so rapidly that her features are blurry. She lets loose with dust bullets and mows down more of her opponents.**

 **One of the last stragglers growls at her menacingly. She swiftly ducks beneath his swung arms and switches to scythe mode. Clipping him on the foot, she tosses him into the last of the thugs. When they go down, they stay down.**

 **With a cheeky smile, she aims her rifle mode at Roman.**

Summer, Taiyang, and Yang broke out in cheers.

 **Roman looks more annoyed then worried. "Isn't it past your bedtime, Red?"**

 **Triumphantly, she banters, "A huntswoman,** **in training** **, never sleeps."**

"Hahaha", Malachi laughed as he wiped a tear. "That girl is a funny one. If I was a younger man, I would love to tussle with her. My might vs her speed." An almost dark smile formed on his lips.

That is until his lovely wife pinched his cheek. "Stop doing that. It's creepy. You fight so much already and you still want more?"

He waved it off, "You weren't exactly a damsel in distress back in the day."

Annabeth smiled softly, "Well I couldn't be. I had to keep you out of trouble. I recall a certain castle incident."

"No you don't." Malachi said quickly and grumpily, deciding that it would be best to be silent.

 **The criminal rolls his eyes, "Cute, kid. I'm just shaking in my name brand boots. Whatever will I do with the scary little girl with a scythe?" Then he snapped his fingers, "I know, this." A group of Grimm emerge from the blackness seeping into the ground.**

 **The Grimm had armored heads and red trimmed shoes, with heart emblems and red claws.**

Ren looked at the Grimm with a touch of concern. He turned to address Ansem, "Sir, do you know which Grimm this is?"

Ansem stroked his beard and thought back, "Yes I had dubbed them Knight Grimm. Their primary weapons are their claws. A number of these lesser known Grimm tend to share some very human traits."

Yang crossed her arms and asked, "What's the big deal, why don't people know more of these Grimm?"

"Simple kid", Qrow stated as he consumed more of the delicious alcohol, "dead men tell no tales."

That got the teens rather somber. Summer frowned at him for needlessly bring down the mood.

 **Recovering from her shock, she jumps back and twirls her scythe to bat away a couple of the Knight Grimm. Some pop up from the ground underneath her and land slashes across her midsection. Jumping into the sky, she unloads bullets upon their form.**

 **Once she hits the ground, the Grimm try to jump pile her. With quick speed, she appears behind the horde and performs a series of rapid scythe strikes and ends with placing the barrel of her weapon upon them and eliminating quite a few in a turret of fire.**

 **More and more race towards her as she continues to speedily take them down. Pairs of hands latch onto her feet. One of the Knight Grimm leaps towards her. Undeterred, she places the scythe behind her and uses the recoil of the blast to move out of the holds and evade the Grimm. As the Grimm fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs, she snipes them down.**

"It seems that she does belong in Beacon." Blake stated in appreciation to Ruby's handiwork.

Weiss gave a ladylike huff. "It is adequate."

Rinoa had to nod along with Weiss, "It's very good, especially considering her age. But, there's a lot of room for improvement. She's almost completely open as she switches her weapon modes." At this, she rose her eyebrow in Qrow's direction.

Before answering, he removed the glass form his lips and jerked his thumb towards Ozpin. "Blame that guy. All the missions Oz been putting me through ate up my time. By the time I got back, the kid was already at Beacon. I'm disappointed in you Ozpin, trying to make me look bad."

Mild amusement passed through the man in question. "I daresay that you do suitably well in that endeavor by your lonesome." He grew pleased as the younger generation began laughing. Even Qrow had to admit defeat.

" **That wasn't so hard. Hey, where's the big bad?" Ruby cries out when she notices Roman is no longer around. Peering upwards, she sees Roman climbing and closing the door of an airship. A look of sheer determination forms on Ruby's face.**

 **Putting away her weapon, she crouches and shoots out like a bullet. Everything slows down in Ruby's perspective, everything become lowly colored. She actually begins to run up the walls of the buildings, with another crouch, she leaps into the airship before it closes.**

" **You're not going anywhere buster!" Ruby states as time seems to flow naturally once again. A massive gust follows and rocks the ship.**

 **Romans grunts in annoyance, "Kids are just the freakiest things."**

" **Hey, I'm not freaky… just perky." Ruby defends quickly.**

 **Just out of her sight, a robed woman launches flames point blank at Ruby. Ruby barely pulls up her arms in defense. She's thrown out of the airship and lands on one of the skyscraper roof tops. As she comes to a stop, her feet and hands causes damage to the roof. A close up of her face reveals a partial rose thorn imprint just below her eyes.**

 **As the robed woman makes another blast, Glynda appears and uses a multitude of stones to block the incoming blast. Ruby looks star struck as the Huntswoman continues fighting the pair in the airships. When Glynda's ammunition combines with the flames, a mass of smoke bursts out, in which the criminals use to make their leave.**

" **That was so cool. Are you Hunter? Can I have your autograph?" Ruby asks in excitement as she races towards the woman. Her smile fades as she sees the stern expression.**

" **You are in trouble, young lady." Glynda says evenly.**

 **Ruby gulps.**

"She's gotten stronger", Malachi noted.

This drew everyone's attention, so he continued, "When the fire woman attacked, the markings appeared on Ruby's face. From then on, all her moves were significantly stronger. Before the mark, skidding would have caused her to topple over, now her hands and feet are leaving imprints."

Qrow and Ozpin shared significant glances.

On the other hand, Summer looked a mixture of confused and worried.

 **The scene changes to Ruby sitting down at a table in an interrogation room. Glynda menacingly paces around the room. "Hundreds of lien of property damage, involvement in altercations with criminal persons, and reckless self-endangerment. Do you understand the severity of your actions?"**

 **As she said each point, Ruby sinks deeper and deeper into her chair. "I…"**

 **Glynda slams a riding crop onto the table, causing Ruby to flinch. "I assure you that was wholly rhetorical."**

" **I knew that." Ruby chuckles unconvincingly.**

 **With a plate of warm chocolate chip cookies, Ozpin walks into the room. He places the plate near Ruby and takes a seat. No sooner did the plate touch the table, Ruby devours them all. The Headmaster looks on in amazement.**

 **This causes her to flush and chuckle nervously. "They're really good?"**

 **Ozpin merely laughs and notes, "You have grey eyes."**

A well of fury grew in the pits of Summer's stomach. She couldn't help but bring her eyes towards the headmaster of Beacon. He was a man of mystery and connections. Biting her lip, she couldn't help but worry about her daughter.

So young and already people were trying to stake their claims upon her. Ozpin was hardly the worst person to be under, but she had wanted her protected from such attention for a while longer.

Seeing her worry made Taiyang worried himself. He stole a glance towards Ozpin and saw him having a nonverbal conversation with Qrow. How much did his so called friend know? Normally, he wouldn't believe that he would withhold something that pertained to his daughter, but it was apparent he didn't know a lot about various people.

If he needed to fight, he wouldn't hesitate. Ruby and Yang were most likely all he would have left in the future.

 **Ruby cleans the remaining crumbs from her lips and smiles softly. "I got them from my mom and I'm proud of them. And, they're pretty cool, too."**

 **Ozpins chuckles, "Quite right. Now as for your little misadventure, it was a bold move to take on a criminal like Roman and his henchmen. Why did you do it?"**

" **I want to be a Hunter and I couldn't be one if I turned away from this. That's not how a hero works."**

 **Ozpin folds his hands and nods, "A hero. What a grand endeavor. Tell me, do you know who I am?"**

" **You're Ozpin, the headmaster of Beacon."**

 **This causes a smile on his face, "Correct. Do you wish to attend? I assure you that we can train you to be one of Vale's finest. Are you prepared to be one who hunts the beasts of despair, Ruby Rose?"**

 **With a solemn face, she says, "Yes."**

 **The scene shifts to Ruby walking the dark streets. Morosely, she looks up to the broken moon. "If you're watching mom, I'm one step closer to being like you. I'll make you proud." With a flutter of her cape, she disappears into rose petals.**

Ruby's mother leaned closer to her beloved as she yearned for support. "Ruby is silly isn't she? She should know I couldn't be anything but proud. I want you to make sure she knows that."

Taiyang rested his hand over hers and said solemnly, "Of course, dear." Inside his heart, he swore that she would be able to tell their daughter that with her own mouth.

Qrow took another drink, this time in a bitterer mood.

 **The scene changes and shows the moon shining over a certain household.**

Malachi was filled to the brim with excitement. "Finally, we get to see Jaune."

"That isn't a good thing doofus. If he has any of your luck, then his career is going to be a headache." Annabeth felt faint from the thought. It was a miracle that either of them lived long enough to get married. Though, she did get pregnant earlier than she would've liked.

She cringed at the idea of her baby boy being just as reckless as his father. Stupidity couldn't be inherited, right?

 **Jaune is shown with a hoodie with white armor attachments. He is frowning deeply as he looks out at the moon. Shaking his head, he turns towards the fire place and removes a sword and shield combo from above it.**

 **Behind him, the white entities busy themselves putting his backpack together.**

"Ah, that's the outfit Jaune was wearing at Beacon." Pyrrha noted happily. His battle attire was an interesting choice.

"It looks like he threw that together. If he hadn't left in the dead of night, I would've set him up with proper armor", Annabeth fretted.

"Hahaha, don't bother honey. I did the same thing when I was his age." Malachi admitted in pride.

Annabeth crossed her arms in disapproval, "Yes that turned out so well for you. What was it again, 'I can take on an Ursa in wrestling'?"

"A minor setback."

Nora cheered, "That's the spirit. Man I wished I was born earlier. You, me and Ren would've been amazing."

Inwardly, Ren thanked the heavens for such a thing never happening. He looked over to Annabeth and nodded solemnly.

Annabeth returned the gesture. She understood the feeling loud and clear.

There was some mercy in the world.

"Mrs. Arc, if it isn't too personal, what was the sword he took off the fireplace?" Pyrrha asked politely.

She smiled warmly at the girl as she answered, "That's Crocea Mors. It's an Arc legacy. I believe it was used in the war. For a long time, it was passed from parent to child. Unlike today's weapons, it doesn't have a shifting function but it's durable."

"That's nice and all, but aren't we missing the elephant in the room? I want to know what the white crew are", Qrow interrupted rudely. His question was directed at Ansem.

"Why ask me?" Ansem questioned.

"Get off it man. This stuff is your bread and butter and since you didn't feel like sharing, no one else in Remnant knows", rebutted Qrow.

Looking a touch miffed, Ansem answered, "This was more of Xehanort's focus, but they are literally named Nobodies. I don't have a lot of information, since my interest was more centered on the Grimm."

 **He takes a few experimental swipes and shifts the shield into its sheathe mode and hangs it on his waist. When he is satisfied by his preparations, he opens the front door.**

 **He stops as he hears the creaking of steps. Turning around, he sees his little sister standing on the stairs in her pajamas. Her expression is resigned. "You're going aren't you?" She asks softly.**

 **Jaune grimaces at being caught and nods. "Yeah, Alice. Don't worry, I'll be fine."**

 **Alice races down the stairs and tightly hugs her big brother around the waist. Her face is nestled in his stomach. Jaune can feel and hear the light crying.**

 **Brushing her hair with his fingers, he assures, "I told you, I'll be fine."**

" **You don't have to leave", she pleads.**

"This is heavy", Nora whispered to her best friend.

"Shush, Nora, this is important", Ren scolded.

Nora pouted in return.

 **This causes the teen to sigh, before unlatching from his sister's embrace. Getting on his knees, he promises, "I'll send messages to you. I won't be gone forever."**

 **Wiping tears from her eyes with her arms, Alice undoes her hair and holds unto a beautiful blue ribbon. She takes her brother's arm and ties it over his bicep. "It's a good luck charm. And now you have to come back. I won't forgive you if you don't bring back my bow."**

" **Thank you. I'll treasure it."**

 **Alice smiles sadly at him. "Take the bow too, since you're already taking the heirlooms. You'll be the perfect Arc."**

 **Both siblings share a soft laugh as Jaune rises. He sees the bow and quiver.**

Ren looked amazed by the craftsmanship of the bow and quiver. And if his eyes didn't deceive him, there were glyph symbols on the quiver. "What a fine weapon", he noted reverently.

Annabeth puffed out her chest in pride. "That's my first bow. After a certain someone caused it to break, I had to invest a lot of trouble to get it mended years later", her eyes never left her husband's.

"For the millionth time, I'm sorry. Your new bow and quiver was way better, you even admitted that. As a matter of fact, you should be thanking me for pushing you to get a better weapon", he grumbled the last bit softly.

His reward was to have his cheeks pinched, "Don't get smart with me."

"Yes ma'am." When the other men chuckled at him, he glared hotly at them. His beautiful wife was one thing, but he wouldn't allow these chumps to get one over him.

 **Painfully slow, he latches them to his back. As he exits the door, he waves at his sister, "Until next time."**

" **Return safely", Alice pleads.**

 **Jaune snaps his fingers and two Nobodies appears. "These assassins will watch out for you. Take good care of them."**

" **Of course, big brother."**

 **Jaune begins his trip. Taking one last look at the moon, he enters the dark forest with a group of Nobodies forming around him. The ribbon flows in the wind. The screen fades to black.**

Annabeth looked downright heartbroken. Her baby boy had left home and only told his little sister. Of all his sisters, Jaune seemed closest with little Alice, maybe it was the big brother instinct. But, he could've alerted them, her at least.

Did something happen in the future? She knew he felt discouraged about not being as talented as all of his sisters, her or Malachi. Realization dawned as she cringed. If his insecurity held so strong, how did he get through the acceptance process? "Is Jaune traveling the forest on his own? Why didn't he tell us? What's going on?" She asked in fret.

To her annoyance, Malachi simply laughed at Jaune's behavior, no doubt feeling proud. Worst, that drunkard Qrow was laughing along with him.

"Traveling through that forest has to put some hair on his chest. You know, unless he dies", Qrow speculated. When he received a glare from Annabeth and Summer, he shrugged, "What?"

Both women increased their glares, not that he was that concerned. Ah, the wonders of some good drinks.

Ozpin cut through the tension with a polite cough. "I apologize for my colleague, he can be quite crude and rude once he has gotten alcohol in his system. I assure you he meant no offense."It would be nothing less than daunting should there be a rift between parties in this unknown domain.

They still didn't have enough knowledge to make a move. Unity must be preserved.

From the snort from Jaune's mother, the sigh from Summer, and the additional snort from Qrow, they were well aware of his motives and concerns. How novel.

 **The new scene shows an island. Seagulls fly all around. Moments later, the island is shown in greater detail. There's a very small boardwalk, a number of tall tropical trees, sand, freshwater, and thick trees that holds up walkways.**

Nora and Yang have stars in their eyes, while the other teens marveled at the sight of the island.

"Destiny Island", Rinoa called fondly. "It's just off the mainland of Radiant Gardens. Some of the kids that want to get away from the madness of technology hang out there. If I recall correctly, Sora, Riku, and Kairi practically live there."

"Isn't there any concern of Grimm going there?" Ozpin asked in a sort of curiosity.

Ansem shook his head, "Oddly enough, no. Make no mistake, I have that place watched thoroughly, just in case something should go amiss. But it seems that the Grimm are almost turned off by the land itself. It was a matter of research for a bit as well."

Ozpin rubbed his chin momentarily. Rumors of Ansem's supposed advanced knowledge of the Grimm were proving true. It begged the question just how much progress did he make in the way of Grimm research.

He nodded towards his assistant and was pleased to see her already typing down the information. Should he lose memories of this place, perhaps electronic information would be kept. Though it was unlikely.

 **In a sort of tree house, Sora was shown to be sleeping in a hammock. A gentle hand nudges him awake. Opening his eyes, Sora meets a smiling Kairi face to face, starling him and causes him to fall off the bed.**

 **Kairi begins to laugh.**

 **Shooting her an annoyed glances, he says, "That's not funny Kairi. What if I hit my head?"**

 **Kairi wears crosses her arms behind her back as she chuckles, "I wouldn't worry you have a pretty hard head." Her laughter causes her to sway in her pink dress and her auburn hair to shake. "Anyway, we need to check up on the raft, lazy bones."**

 **Hearing that, Sora's interest is perked as he leaps to his feet. "That is today. Let's go Kairi."**

 **She nods and walks out of his house/room. Once outside, she takes the ladder, while Sora leaps off the edge. Once down, they make their way to the port area. There stands a teen with silver hair, a high collar white vest with yellow trimmings, jeans, and black wristbands.**

"Well if Riku isn't being his dramatic self", Rinoa laughed easily.

"I rather think he has some style", Ansem defended.

Pyrrha chuckled a bit, "It takes a certain amount flair to be that dramatic with just standing." She should know, she met a lot of such people herself.

 **Riku glares halfheartedly at them, "Finally, you two sure took your time."**

 **Kairi huffs, "Don't blame me, Sora's the one that was napping."**

 **Sora laughs nervously, "Oops."**

 **The other two just chuckle at his behavior.**

" **Never mind, you're here now. That's all that matters." Riku begins as he gestures towards a raft. "Let's make sure the ship is in tiptop condition."**

 **Kairi nods and makes her way towards the raft.**

 **As she walks, Riku smirks conspiratorially towards Sora. "Look what I found, a paopu fruit. I was thinking of giving it to you so you could share with Kairi. You know what they say about paopu fruits. So you want it?"**

"What's the legend exactly?" Pyrrha asked politely.

Rinoa coughed before she explained, "If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what."

"That's so romantic", Summer admitted. She snuggled closer to Taiyang and got a smile out of him. Though she was past the age, she still found herself attached to such fairy tale like romances.

Ansem looked a touch uncomfortable hearing teenage boys imply such relations with his teenage daughter.

 **Sora splutters as he denies wanting the fruit. "I don't know what you're talking about."**

 **Riku looks at him unconvinced, "Right~. Whatever you say, Sora." He tosses the fruit at Sora, who catches it clumsily.**

 **Sora looks at the fruit and then at Kairi and then the fruit. Shaking his head, he tucks it into his clothes as he runs to the raft. Once there, he notices how Riku looks at it longingly.**

Qrow sent some of his drink flying as he laughed mid drink. "Where the heck do they think they'll be able to go in that sorry thing?"

Weiss cringed at the action. "Excuse you. That was disgusting."

"Whatever Winter Jr. You're just as aggravating as your sister with half the skill and size."

The heiress appeared to be prepared to blow her top.

"Calm down", Blake said blandly. "Nothing you say is going to faze him." Though, she would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy watching a Schnee being put down a peg or three.

" **Why are we building this again?" Sora questions. This causes Kairi to giggle and Riku to sigh.**

 **Though frustrated, Riku answers. "It's to travel past all this. It's to see the world outside this kingdom. Why is it that we live in this day and age? Out of all the ages that existed, we three finds ourselves here and now. There has to be more to life than what we're doing now. Can you two honestly say you're satisfied with this lifestyle? I'm sick of it. Using this raft, I will move past all of the boundaries placed upon me."**

" **Neat." Sora says easily.**

"I love this kid's attitude. I got to introduce him to Ruby one day. Just think of the shenanigans the two would get into." Qrow bellowed.

"Out of the question. You aren't going to introduce my girl to any boys", Taiyang yelled, putting his foot down.

"Man, Ruby's dating life is going to suck", Yang stage whispered to Blake.

Taiyang glared at his eldest daughter for implying that Ruby was going to have a dating life.

The women rolled their eyes at the overprotective father.

 **Riku takes a slow breath to calm his nerves. "I'm serious, Sora. What do you want from life?"**

 **Sora shrugs, "I'm happy. I have friends and a place to sleep. I don't need much else."**

 **Kairi nods in approval, "Do you even know what you're looking for, Riku?"**

 **Riku actually snorts. "There is so much of the world that's left unknown. Sora is proof of that. "**

" **Riku's right. Outside of the kingdom is nothing but adventure."**

" **Alright boys. Before you two get off to your adventures, let's make sure we have supplies for tomorrow's trip", Kairi mentions.**

Ansem almost huffed in annoyance. "They should be grateful for all the security in the Kingdom. Some of the worse off villages risk Grimm attacks on a daily basis." He seemed more petulant than hurt.

His wife comfortingly patted his lap, "I'm sure they're just being children. They're good kids."

Sighing, he agreed, "You're right. Still they could sound a little more thankful." In the world they live in, security was a luxury and unrenewable resource.

" **I got it. If I leave it to Sora, we'll never get things done", Riku teases as he walks away.**

 **Sora makes rude faces at Riku as he walks away. "What's wrong, Kairi", he asks when he sees her frown.**

 **Kairi looks out to the sea as she speaks, "Riku has changed."**

 **Sora turns to her confused, "What do you mean?"**

 **She pauses for a moment. "If I asked, would you join me on a trip- just the two of us?"**

" **Huh?" Sora asks alarmed.**

Pyrrha cooed at the younger girl. It must be so nice to partake in such a simple romance. Her experiences had been solely lacking in that regard. Though, Jaune seemed interesting enough.

Ansem was growing even more uncomfortable at watching Kairi have her moment with Sora. He chose to say nothing when he noted how pleased his wife was at the moment.

 **That causes the girl to giggle and explain, "I'm only kidding."**

" **You're acting pretty weird yourself."**

 **Kairi brushed aside her hair, "Maybe you're right. You know, I was really worried about this trip at first. There is so much beyond the kingdom, a lot of it dangerous. But, I think I'm ready. You see, no matter where we go, I believe we'll meet here again." She looks him in the eyes and asks, "Right?"**

" **Yeah, of course!" Sora exclaims loudly.**

" **That's good. Sora… don't ever change."**

 **For once, Sora nods seriously.**

 **Pleased, Kairi digs into her pocket and pulls out a star shaped item. It's predominately gold with silver tips. The center of it has a crown shape. "This charm is a wayfinder, it's supposed to protect travelers during their journey. Here's yours." In her hands are two other such charms. One is pink with white tips and has a heart in the middle. The other is purple with red tips and has a sun in the middle.**

" **Thanks", he says in appreciation. "What about Riku's?"**

" **Don't worry about it. I'll give it to him later. Take care, Sora." With a spring to her step, Kairi runs towards Riku.**

"That is just too cute", Annabeth stated.

Malachi yawned in boredom, "Eh- it's nothing special. When is the fighting going to start back up?"

"This is Remnant, I'm sure the action will pick up again", Ansem answered.

 **With a goofy expression on his face, Sora pockets the wayfinder. He walks up to a freshwater area to see an opening in the side of the stone border. Slowly, he walks through the hole and ends up in a secret locations. There are hand drawn markings everywhere.**

 **In the far end of the room, there is a brown door. Sora walks near it and crouches to a picture of him and Kairi. Using a piece of rock, he draws a picture of him sharing a paopu fruit with her. He smiles.**

Rinoa looked downright smug. She always knew that Sora had a thing for her little Kairi. Though he seemed oblivious of her daughter returning his affection. A relationship between the two would be approved by her. Sora was a good boy.

"I hope Ruby finds a boy as sweet as him", Summer sighed. She giggled when she saw Taiyang's disgruntled attitude.

Annabeth nodded in agreement. "He does have that earnest attitude to him. That's pretty hard to find nowadays."

 **He then hears a noise behind him and swiftly gets to his feet. "Who's there?"**

 **Behind Sora, there is a man completely covered in a black hooded coat. A lone silver zipper stands out from the black. "This kingdom has been connected to the darkness and soon it will be consumed. From this land this age will come to a close."**

" **What are you talking about!?"**

" **There is so very much to learn. Yet you understand so little."**

" **So what!? My friends and I are going to explore everything. We'll learn then."**

 **The being laughed condescendingly. "A meaningless effort. One who knows nothing can understand nothing."**

 **Sora clenches his hands as he looks to the ground. Eyes narrowed, he looks back up and finds the person gone. Warily, he walks out of the secret location. He doesn't notice the door shining.**

Ansem narrowed his eyes at the image. Three things were bothering him. One, he could faintly recall the voice of the hidden figure. It irked him to not be able to draw a name to the voice. Second, he had no knowledge of this secret place. Lastly, he had the dark premonition that the man had something planned for Radiant Gardens.

This was troubling to say the least.

 **The scene opens to nighttime. Sora is star watching on top of someone's roof. A storm comes in and he gets to his feet. "I need to tie up the raft!"**

 **Just as he jumps to the ground, it rocks. Sora looks shocked as a multitude of dark pools appear. Hordes of Grimm begin attacking the kingdom! He begins running past all the fights taking place. Orbs and cubes of energy appear in numerous locations and unleash damage to many of the creatures of Grimm.**

The group grew silent. They could be witnessing the future fall of a kingdom.

The youngest of the group were the most effected. Their goal as Hunters was meant to prevent such things from occurring. It boiled their blood to see so many people in panic and disarray.

The adults were more resigned. Remnant's kingdoms were almost like a bandage holding back the infestation known as Grimm. Each knew that this peace and stalemate could not hold forever.

Ansem was the most apprehensive. His automatic system was doing a fantastic job, but the horde of Grimm was unnatural. When his wife held his hand, he felt some of the tension fade. He smiled at her in thanks.

 **A group of Beowolves jump behind him. As he ducks, Rinoa falls from the sky. Rinoa has white wings on her back, she throws a shield that cuts through a group of Grimm until it returns to her. "Sora, have you seen Kairi?"**

" **She might be at Destiny Islands", Sora cries.**

 **Rinoa stabs a Grimm through the skull and then fires her gunblade at the emerging Grimm. She floats up in the sky and forms a trio of tornados that bombards all of the opposing monsters. With a wave of her hand, icicles rain down and pierce all the running Beowolves near her.**

 **She raises her hand and a giant piece of stone is torn from the ground. "Hop on, Sora."**

 **Sora obeys and with a gale of wind, the rock is shot to the island. As he reaches the shore, he sees even more and more Grimm spawning from inky pools. Sora grips onto the rock and jumps off when he directs it towards the center. Summoning his Keyblade, he slices through the rock and the small pieces pelts the surrounding Grimm.**

Nora cheers and Ren couldn't help but agree.

"That was amazing", Nora cried in Rinoa's direction. "You were tearing those Grimm apart."

"Thank you, Nora", she said humbly, "It comes with experience."

Ozpin appreciated her handiwork. The wife of the Radiant Gardens' leader was no pushover. If not for the steady stream of new Grimm, she would've surely put down this horde.

" **Riku! Kairi!" Sora screams as he runs to the boat. He's relieved as he sees Riku's back. "Riku, thank goodness you're safe. Have you seen Kairi?"**

" **We are connected. We can break free, see all new lands", Riku says.**

" **What about, Kairi!?"**

" **She's coming with us!" Riku says abruptly, his patience running out. A portal of darkness appears behind Riku. "Once we step through, we may never come back. But, there's nothing to fear. This is our only chance. I'm not afraid of the darkness. Come, Sora." He reaches out with his right hand.**

 **The portal's dark tendrils crawl over Riku's form.**

 **Sora shakes his head sadly and doesn't reach out to him. In the next moment, Riku is gone. Full of concern, Sora races away from the wooden platform and goes to the crevice in the stone. Something calls for him there.**

 **Relief washes over his face as he sees Kairi from behind. That feeling is sapped when he sees her turn around. Her eyes are empty and tired. It appears as though she can barely stand. "S-Sora."**

"Sweetie, what's wrong with our baby girl", Rinoa said in a panic.

"I-I don't know", Ansem admitted taking a blow in his pride. While a lot of theories came to mind, he didn't know enough of the situation. He swallowed thickly, he prayed that his only daughter didn't expire from her experiences.

Taiyang took dark pleasure in seeing the dismay on Ansem's face. While he held no animosity to the poor girl, he relished that the leader wasn't so far removed from such emotional behavior. No sooner had he thought that did guilt overtake his pleasure. That touch of sadism he had felt was alarming.

Looking over, he noticed the stone cold look Qrow was giving him. The blonde man couldn't look Qrow in the eyes.

 **Weakly, she reaches her hand towards him. Panicked, Sora prepares to run to her side. At that moment, the door caves and a mighty hurricane sweeps her along. Bracing for impact, Sora spreads out his arms to catch her. Just as she reaches him, she vanishes and catches nothing but air.**

Ansem and Rinoa's eyes grew large. Their daughter was gone. No, they couldn't believe it. Until the 'show' stated it explicitly, there was hope that Kairi was still in one piece.

The adults were fairly sympathetic to their plight.

 **Soon, he too is swept by the wind. He lands face first into sand. Above him debris travel wildly in the wind. Getting up, he sees a pool of darkness expand into a muscled humanoid monstrosity. The Grimm is larger than a Goliath with tendril like hair covering its face, allowing only its sharp yellow eyes to be seen. In its abdomen is a hole the shape of a heart.**

 **The screen froze and a voice could be heard whispering, "Darkside. They are Grimm of a league all their own. Their path is wrought with the remnants of the ages past."**

None could believe their eyes. Grimm of such grand size were thankfully a rarity. They could feel the danger in those yellow eyes.

Ozpin was sure that beasts of such size were usually dormant or sealed away. This development merely added to his belief that he was a lot less prepared for the war against Grimm than he initially speculated.

 **Oddly quickly, it zones on Sora and slowly raises its arms before bringing them down rapidly.**

 **Sora leaps back and summons his Keyblade. Throwing it doesn't do anything to the arm. Its hand sinks into the ground and Beowolves and Shadow Grimm erupt from the center.**

 **Determination strong, Sora fights through their numbers. The giant hands sweep again and Sora leaps onto the hand. Running along the arm, he plunges the blade right into the face, but it rebounds and flings him to the ground.**

 **Dizzy he just barely holds up against the growing number of lesser Grimm charging him. His sword glows with light and he nearly wipes each Grimm out with a single swipe. But the numbers grow again and again from the portal.**

 **To his dismay, the Darkside plunges its hand into the ground and another well of Grimm overrun Sora. Blow after blow sends Sora flying and cringing. Struggling in pain, he roars as he turns his attention towards the foot of the giant Grimm. It a single sweeping motion, he cuts through the giant foot, causing the Grimm to topple.**

 **Before the numbers overrun him, he leaps at the kneeing Grimm and strikes at its face over and over and over again, causing actual damage this time. Before he could continue, a Beowolf smacks him aside. Stubbornly holding onto his blade, he glares angrily at the giant Grimm actually causing it to flinch.**

 **Sora gapes when he realizes that this whole time, the Grimm has been charging dark energy in its chest cavity. He can't do anything as the energy is released as dark missiles come forth. Sora does a high jump to avoid the barrage, but the shots change directions and engulf him in a dark explosion from behind.**

"He's going to lose. The kid has some moves, but he's outmatched and outnumbered", Qrow said in solemnity.

Rinoa cringed at the statement. It wasn't false. Brave as he was, Sora was being given the run around.

Without a hint of humor, Malachi stated, "He put up a respectable fight. But that giant Grimm is already a tall order. Now it's calling forth even more foes. Just one ally would have changed his situation."

Glynda added her own commentary, "The best course of action would be to be retreat, but I fail to see how that could help him in this situation. He's at too high an elevation and who knows what Grimm lurk beneath the waters. Even if he gets to shore, there is still the issue with the other multitude of Grimm."

 **Falling to the ground in dismay and agony, his sight gets blurry. Despite his dim vision, he can see so much of his home being swallowed by darkness. The Keyblade falls out of his grip as the world freezes and he hears the mysterious voice again.**

" **A heart is a powerful thing. There is the potential for such light. But do not forget, darkness lies there too. The ability to laugh, cry, love, and hate is much to behold. Tell me -, can your creations handle such a gift?"**

"That voice is definitely Sora's", Rinoa declared. Her eyes were narrowed. "There's a slight difference, but the voices match. Who is he talking to?"

No one answered because no one knew.

 **A nebula of darkness appears above him and with other debris he is swallowed in it. Just before he disappears, his crown necklace shines. As he is engulfed in the light, a suit of armor covers his form. The last of Sora is seen being flung through an abyss of total darkness.**

"It seems this child has a lot of tricks up his sleeves", Glynda said in relieve. As bad as the situation was, at least one youth had made it out alive.

Ozpin looked rather pleased himself. His eyes never left the armor that seemed to protect the boy from the clutches of the Grimm he could see in the never ending darkness.

 **From an aerial view, all of Radiant Gardens is shown to be encompassed in a shroud of flickering shadows. All manner of Grimm for miles march towards the source of darkness.**

 **In the midst of the marching Grimm, the black coated figure is seen again. The figure pulls down the hood and a young adult is seen. He is dark skinned with silver hair and yellow eyes. "Behold Bastion of Light, you have befallen a terrible fate. Do not despair, for soon the rest of this age shall fall with you." With his piece said, the man opens a portal of darkness and enters it.**

"No", Ansem said in disbelieve and betrayal.

"What is it, Ansem?" Ozpin asked quickly and sternly.

"T-That's Xehanort. That's how he looked decades ago before we started our research. Last I saw him, he was older. Why would he have a hand in Radiant Garden's end?" Ansem was working hard to withhold the hurt and anger in his voice.

"I see. Then I believe we just discovered a powerful player in this war." Ozpin's expression was harsher than any of his potential students were used to.

 **As the screen fades to black, writing appears. 'Though your adventure starts in the dead of night, hold true, a rising sun awaits your journey's end. For that sight, you may find the struggle worth it.' The text fades just before one final sentence appears.**

' **Light is not so easily devoured.'**

 **The screen switches to black.**

 **There's a day when all hearts will be broken  
When a shadow will cast out the light  
And our eyes cry a million tears**

 **Sora, Ruby, and Jaune lay in a desecrated plain. Their bodies are worn and clothes tattered.**

 **Help won't arrive  
**

 **The Keyblade, scythe, and sword clatter to the ground somberly.**

 **There's a day when all courage collapses**

 **The sky is in total darkness**

 **And our friends turn and leave us behind  
Creatures of darkness will triumph  
The sun won't rise  
**

 **Ruby's face is shown with grime. Images of Weiss, Blake and Yang run through her mind. She grimaces.**

 **When we've lost all hope  
And succumb to fear**

 **Sora is beside a broken shield and wand. He turns away from the screen in sadness. He sighs in pain.**

 **As the skies rain blood  
And the end draws near  
**

 **With sad eyes, Jaune squints away tears as images of Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren pass through his mind.**

 **I may fall  
But not like this – it won't be by your hand**

 **Strength is shown in each of their eyes as they struggle to their feet and pick up their weapons.**

 **I may fall  
Not this place, not today **

**Ahead of them are thousands and thousands of Grimm. They nod towards each other firmly and run at the Grimm.**

 **I may fall  
Bring it all – it's not enough to take me down**

 **Sora jumps into the sky, his Keyblade shines gold, Ruby disappears into rose petals and Jaune's hands shine with silver.**

 **I may fall**

 **When the two forces collide, the screen is engulfed in light.**

"Things don't appear to be going too well in the future", Pyrrha said sadly.

"Fear not, Ms. Nikos, there is hope yet. Sora is alive and do not forget the other kingdoms still hold true", Ozpin pointed out.

Ren was skeptical. This was only the beginning. From the sight of things, this Xehanort character was a chess master.

Ansem was contemplative. It hurt to know that his research partner would do something like this. "Perhaps we should take a break to absorb what we've seen." After making his statement, he took a heavy gulp of alcohol.

"Great idea, anybody wants the rest of these bottles, no alright I'll take them." Qrow said rapidly and got out of the room.

Summer flushed in embarrassment for her friend. The years were obviously unkind to him.

Taiyang simply rolled his eyes. Qrow was practically born for chugging beer and such.

"All right, break time", Yang said cheerfully.

Despite her attempt for levity the tension was heavy. Slowly the group left the theatre room.

They had much to think about.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Please remember to review, favorite, and follow. I especially appreciate the feedback.**

 **How were the character interactions between the viewer characters?**

 **Also for those against Jaune's control over the human Nobodies, Sora and Ruby have their advantages as well. Sora will have his techniques, bonds, experiences from his journey and a Keyblade, while Ruby is significantly stronger than in canon.**

 **Each of their capabilities have an in story reason, it just takes time. Thank you for reading.**

 **Until next time.**


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